Paper- file



(No Mbdel.)

A. P. ST. JOHN.

PAPER FILE.

No. 396,841. Patehted Jan. 29, 1889.

@ exaizderlwggffi ALEXANDER POPE ST. JOHN, OF MOBILE, ALABAIVIA.

PAPER-Fl LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,841, dated January 29, 1889. Application filed October 16, 1888. $erial No. 288,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER PoPE ST. JOHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and. State of Alabama, have invented new and. useful Improvements in Paper-Files, of which the following is a s iecifieation.

My invention. relates to im npvenumts in papenfiles; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a file to fit in the main or central crease of the paper, and having a folding frame of a width. which is equal to about onehalf of the width of one leaf of the paper, whereby the latter may be folded therearound. Thus the file rests readily on the lap of the reader with the paper spread and in position to read, and as the paper is read it may be folded around the file, so as to expose only a portion of a leaf, or a few columns.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improved file with a paper arranged thereon. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the paper doubled around the file to expose one-half of a leaf. Fig. is a side view, partly in section, of the file.

Referring tothe drawings, A designates the frame of the file, which consists of the supporting-bar B, the folding bar 0, parallel with the bar B, and the top and bottom bars, D D, respectively. The folding bar and top and bottom bars are preferably formed of a single stout wire, and the free ends of the top and bottom bars are passed through perforations (Z (1' near the ends of the supporting-bar. The extremities of the top and bottom bars extend beyond. the outer side of the supporting-bar, and the end of the upper arm is bent downward to form the stud E. The retaining-bar F is provided at its upper end with a socket, f, to receive the stud E, and is provided near its lower end with a transverse perforation, to receive the extension G of the bottom bar of the frame. A stop, H, con sisting of a short metallic stud, is attached to the supporting-bar near its lower end, and is designed to maintain the proper interval be tween the lower ends of the supporting and retaining bars.

K designates a spring-(atoll, which is socured at one end to the lower end of the supporting-bar and engages a stud, 7.", on the adjacent end of the retaining-bar. The newspaper (shown at ll in the drawings) folds at its central crease around the supporting-bar, and pins M on the said bar pass through the paper and enter sockets or depressions m m in the adjacent side of the retaining-bar. Thus the paper is located between the supporting and the retaining bars and is impaled on the pins M, the ends of which are covered.

To arrange the paper on the file, remove the retaining-bar, pass the pins through the paper, engage the socket f of the retainingbar with the stud E, and engage the perforation g with the extension G, and when the in.- ner side of the retaining-bar strikes the end of the stop H the catch K will engage the stud on the retaining-bar.

\Vhile the inner pages of the paper are being read it is not necessary to have the en tire paper spread out; but it may be folded around the frame, and thus caused to occupy a space equal to one-half the width of one page. This enables the file to be supported on the lap of the reader or held in one hand, and therefore prevents the crushing and defacing of the lower edge of the paper ordi narily caused by resting the lower edge on the lap or a table.

A further advantage of the improved file is the absence of hinges, screws, set-screws, &c., in its construction,thereby reducin the cost of manufacture and producing a simpler and stronger device.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a newspaper-file, the folding frame narrower than one leaf of the paper and pro vided with a supporting-bar to lie in. the crease of the paper, in combination with. the pins puncturing the paper and the retaining bar parallel with the supporting-bar and provided with. sockets or depressions fitting on the free ends of the said pins, substantially as specified.

2. In a newspapei lile, the folding frame comprising the supporting-bar provided with pins M, the top and bottom bars extending through perforations near the ends of the sup porting-bar, and the folding bar connecting the outer ends of the top and bottom bars and parallel With the supporting-bar, in combination with the retaining-bar affixed to the inner extremities of the top and bottom bars and covering the free ends of the said pins, substantially as specified.

3. In a newspaper-file, the supporting-bar provided with pins M, the wire frame having the top and bottom bars, D D,whieh extend at their free ends through perforations in the supporting-bar, the stud E on the extension of the top bar, and the stop H on the lower end of the supporting-bar, in combination With the retaining-bar provided with a socket, f, engaging the stud E and bearing against the stop H, and the catch engaging the lower end of the retaining-bar, substantially as specified.

4. In a newspaper-file, the supporting-bar provided with pins M, the wire frame affixed to the supporting-bar and having its top and bottom bars extended beyond the supportingbar to forin the arm G and the stud E, and the stop II on the supporting-bar, in combination with the retaining-bar provided with a socket, f, engaging the stud E, the perforation g, engaging the arm G, and the sockets or depressions receiving the free ends of the pins M, and the catch on the end of the supportingbar engaging a stud on the end of the retaining-bar to hold the latter in contact with the stop 11, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 3 presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER POPE ST. JOHN. \Vi tn esses:

DOUGLAS Voss, F. S. PAoKER. 

